Young disabled People and bullying at school

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Young disabled People and bullying at school

• Lucy Mason of HEYA for
• Disability Equality in Education
• www.diseed.org.uk

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Young Peoples Voices
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Disabled Children and Bullying

• Twice as likely as non-disabled children to be
  bullied- Childrens Commissioner Dec 2006
• 82 of children and young people with learning
  difficulty in UK are bullied-this is 280,000
  children. MENCAP-Dont Stick It Stop It 2007
• Disabled Children are 9 times more likely to be
  excluded than non disabled children DfES 2004
• 62 of disabled pupils had been bullied, 19
  daily or weekly and 38 at least once per month.
• DEE in work for DCSF in July 2008

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Duty to Promote Disability Equality
From Dec. 2006. When carrying out their functions
public authorities must have due regard to the
need to
Promote positive attitudes towards disabled
persons
Encourage participation by disabled persons in
public life
Eliminate unlawful discrimination
Promote equality of opportunity
Eliminate disability related harassment
The use of positive discrimination if necessary
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Guiding Principles Disability Equality Duty

1. Proportionality- balance other needs and factors
2. Effectiveness-it works
3. Involvement- local disabled people, staff and
   disabled pupils
4. Transparency- process can and expenditure be
   easily tracked
5. Social Model of Disability thinking to ethos and
   all policies , practices and procedures

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Getting pupils viewsMake a diary of the school
day- Find out for each activity whether it is
enjoyed-liked, disliked or unconcerned
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From the Inclusion Assistant. Available from DEE
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1.The School Building
2. Playtime
3. School Dinners
4. Assemblies
5.School Trips
6. PE and Games
7. Lessons
8.Teachers
9.Teaching Assistants
10.Other Children
11. School Council
12. School Clubs
13. Corridors
Getting the views of disabled pupils
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As a disabled person what do you think of....

Area of the school Excellent Good Not so Good Bad N
The School Building 25 40 10 25 127
Playtime 33 39 16 12 120
School Dinners 17 24. 15 44 102
Assemblies 17 31 15 37 126
School Trips 47 21 9 23 124
PE and Games 29 43 12 16 130
Lessons 24 36 8 32 104
Teachers 19 46 5 30 105
Teaching Ass. 40 39 7 14 134
Other Children 22 28 18 32 74
School Council 37 5 29 29 73
School Clubs 25 25 26 24 91
Corridors 8 15 17 60 35
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123 Disabled Pupils answered Individual
Questionnaire in July 2008 10 Locations including
pupils from 5 special schools 5 primary
schools , 2 secondary academies and 14 secondary
comprehensive schools.

• Have you ever experienced bullying
• at school Yes 64.5
• No 35.5
• If Yes, how often?
• Every day 19.5
• More than once a week gt 18
• More than once a monthgt
• More than once a year gt 18
• Hardly ever gt

Variability over 10 locations
Range Every Day
0 to 50 More than
monthly 0 to 38 Less Frequently
0 to 50
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For those in the study who were bullied what was
done about bullying?

Teachers Sorted 27
No Answer 26
Nothing was done 11
Detention 4
Parents 3
Other Students 3
Moved School/House 2
Police 1
Hit him 1
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The Social Model of disablement focuses on the
barriers
LACK OF USEFUL EDUCATION
DISCRIMINATION IN EMPLOYMENT
INACCESSIBLE ENVIRONMENT
SEGREGATED SERVICES
THE STRUCTURES WITHIN SOCIETY ARE THE PROBLEM
DE-VALUING
POVERTY
BELIEF IN THE MEDICAL MODEL
PREJUDICE
INACCESIBLE TRANSPORT
INACCESSIBLE INFORMATION
DISABLED PEOPLE AS ACTIVE FIGHTERS FOR EQUALITY
WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ALLIES.
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The dominant view is the Medical Model.
CHILD DEVELOPMENT TEAM
SPECIALISTS
SOCIAL WORKERS
DOCTORS
SURGEONS
GPs
THE IMPAIRMENT IS THE PROBLEM
SPECIAL TRANSPORT
SPEECH THERAPISTS
EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGISTS
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS
SPECIAL SCHOOLS
SHELTERED WORKSHOPS
TRAINING CENTRES
BENEFITS AGENCY
DISABLED PEOPLE AS PASSIVE RECEIVERS OF SERVICES
AIMED AT CURE OR MANAGEMENT
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Attitudes. 12.6 of barriers were identified as
attitudes towards disabled students. In several
cases these overlapped with sexist and racist
attitudes towards Muslim girls and more generally
included many of the stereotypes such as over
protectiveness and under estimating what disabled
student can do. Bullying . 11.5 of barriers were
identified with bullying from other students, but
also identified teachers and support staff as
colluding. If added to 4 this would be the
largest category of barriers arising from
negative attitudes to disabled people (24.1).
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Bullying solutions make up 8.6, but are
obviously strongly related to attitude,
disability awareness and behaviour change making
this affective area the largest with 40.9 of
solutions.
Barrier Solution
Bullying once a fortnight. Teachers should be strict with bullies.
Bullying and prejudice. Tell a teacher you trust or a friend to try to stop bullying. Stop name calling. Go tell tutor about bullies.
Bullying-but teachers do not believe me Help the bullies to help someone else. Reform the Anti-Bullying meetings- they help us take a stand and fight for what is right.
Bullying Having friends
People being picked on Let the bullies explain why they are doing what they are doing
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Promoting Positive Attitudes to Disabled People

• Make sure disability is covered in a positive way
  in all parts of the curriculum. e.g. Art,
  History, Geography Science
• Gather examples from national press and media
  use in displays
• Relate to TV Pete on Big Brother-Tourettes
• Alison Lapper Trafalgar Square
• Help pupils critiques stereotypes English
• Use a social model approach-identify barriers
• Examine ethical issues from a human rights
  perspective
• Ensure hidden curriculum is disability friendly
• Challenge disabilism
• Develop strong self esteem in disabled pupils

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Two-Face Batman Forever
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Dr. NO
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See No Evil, Hear No Evil, 1989
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Finale Hunchback Notre Dame
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Hate Crimes against disabled people are more
common than you think!
Craig Robbins had learning difficulty and was
viciously attacked leading to brain damage by
three people- Wales
Kevin Davies who had epilepsy was kept in a shed
for four months until he died/ Wigan
Rikki Judkins with Learning Difficulties beated
to death by two teenagers when visiting Lancaster
Raymond Atherton a man with learning difficulties
repeatedly attacked and eventually killed by 2
teenagers after months of torture . Warrington
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Bullying and Name Calling

• Take Young Peoples Views Seriously
• Support the development of Friendships
• Challenge Stereotypes
• Explain the reasons why this is hurtful
• Get young people to develop anti bullying policy
• Record incidents
• Investigate and report back on causes
• Deliver focussed intervention

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What is to be done

• Make all children and young people aware of
  disabilist bullying
• Make positive attitudes to disabled people are
  promoted in your school
• Challenge Negative stereotypes in the media
• Set up and train bully busters or playground
  friends
• Ensure views disabled pupils got and taken into
  account